The Hershey Bears announced today that the club has signed right wings Ashton Rome and Joel Rechlicz as well as goaltender Todd Ford to American Hockey League contracts for 2010-11.
Rome, 24, scored three goals in 10 games with Hershey during the 2009-10 regular season, and also played in 16 postseason games, helping the Bears to a Calder Cup title. In addition to his time in the Chocolate and White, Rome has previously skated in the AHL with the Worcester Sharks and Toronto Marlies. He was drafted in the fifth round, 143rd overall, in the 2006 NHL Entry Draft by San Jose.
Rechlicz, 23, stands in at 6-foot-4, 220 pounds and brings 23 games of NHL experience to Hershey. He had no points and 128 penalty minutes in 21 games last season while playing for Bridgeport (AHL), and he also saw action in six games for the New York Islanders in 2009-10. In 50 career AHL games with Bridgeport and Albany, Rechlicz has registered one assist and 246 PIM.
Ford, 26, played in 15 AHL games between Portland and Texas in 2009-10, amassing a record of 7-5-1 with a 2.51 goals-against average, a .920 save percentage and two shutouts. He also went 18-7-2 (2.79) in 29 appearances with South Carolina (ECHL). Ford is 13-10-1 in 29 career AHL games with Portland, Texas and Toronto.
